An Unwashable Mark
by artemis003
Summary: Harry and Hermione are staying with the Weasleys at the Leaky Cauldron.Little do they know that two other individuals are staying there as well...


***JKR owns everything,I'm just a fan who wishes I could be her...oh well....back to reality now  
  
*I would just like to say that I would personaly love to see Draco and Hermione together.However,I know that it is absolutely impossible and that Hermione and Ron will more likely than not end up together....But I can always dream,right?So with out further a do....*  
  
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The rain that had been pounding outside was now down to a slow drizzle,even though the thunder and lightning was still going strong.Though no one inside the Leaky Cauldron seemed to notice;Harry and Ron were deeply involved in a game of Wizard's Chess;Fred,George and Ginny were playing exploding snap;and somewhere,two floors above them,was Hermione Granger,reading one of her text books.  
  
Reading a book on a rainy day was Hermione's favorite activity.She would much ratherbe in her room reading than down there in the chaos of a heated game of exploding snap.Hermione,though,had already read all of her text books,including the Defense Against the Dark Arts one she was reading now,and was starting to get bored with it.Hermione decided to go downstairs and watch the chess game,she walked into the bedlam that was the Leaky Cauldron.  
  
Four Goblins,two old witches,and one young wizard were all in line to reserve rooms,and were yelling loudly at eachother;Fred's exploding snap cards had just blown up;all of Ron and Harry's chess men seemed to have abandoned the game and were having wrestling matches.And to top it all off,it seemed that one little girl had gotten hold of a broom and was flying across the cieling,pulling down pictures and paintings as she went.Hermione sighed deeply and continued over to her friends.Ron and Harry were still having dificulty seperating the pieces from eachother.  
  
"Bloody hell!"yelled Ron,trying to snatch up Harry's knight,who was chasing his rook,"It's-just-a-game!"he strangled to get out everyword.He finally got the knight and threw it in the box.  
  
"Oh honestly,"said Hermione,who tipped the board sideways over the box,and all the pieces fell in.  
  
"Now why didn't we think of that?"Harry said,watching one bishop in perticular who was holding on to the edge of the board and wouldn't let go.Harry flicked the piece with his finger and it fell.Ron took the board from him and looked at Hermione.  
  
"Finaly decided to come out of your room?"Ron said,"We'd thought you'd forgotten how to use a door."Hermione rolled her eyes at him and he continued,"Not reading any certain letter from any one are you?You didn't get any mail did you?"he was glaring at her.  
  
"Ron,what are you talking about?"Hermione said,sitting down next to Harry.She was never that good at lying;she knew exactly what he was talking about.  
  
"Don't play dumb with me!"Ron said,wagging a finger in her direction,"You know what I'm talking about!I know that Krum sends you a letter almost every day!"Hermione had turned scarlet at those last words,but she was going to hold her ground.Harry could sense a fight coming on and stood up quickly smiling brightly.  
  
"How about another game of chess?"he proposed loudly,which was obviously just a way to make them stop,because the pieces were still trying to mutilate eachother.  
  
"And how,I wonder,would you know that?"Hermione retorted.  
  
"Thats not important!"Ron shouted.Those closest looked up,but most of the people were either too busy,or it was too loud in the Leaky Cauldron to hear him,"And you know something else?"he said louder,"The only reason you didn't go to his house last week was because you didn't want Harry and I to know that he asked you!"Harry raised an eyebrow;he didn't know Victor Krum had invited Hermione over...  
  
Hermione's eyes widened and her hand flew up to her mouth.She had never told Ron or Harry that information!With a sudden rage of understanding,she slowly raised herself from her seat and stared at Ron,with an expression Harry could read as hurt and shock.  
  
  
  
"You read my mail.You-you..."Hermione was speaking so quietly that they could barely hear her.She was on the verge of tears.  
  
"Well that's what I had to stoop to to find out whats really going on,"Ron said,though his loud voice and angry tone were both wavering.  
  
"How could you?"Hermione said in a breath of anger.That mail from Victor was private.She never thought Ron would do such a thing.  
  
"Hermione-"he said,his anger gone,"Hermione,I-"but she had turned and started to run toward the door.With a sudden thought,she spun around,ready to deal the final blow.  
  
"You know something Ronald Weasley?"she spat angrily,"I never in my life thought that you could sink to Malfoy's level."and with that,she spun on her heel and stormed out into the rain,leaving Ron mouthing wordlessly.  
  
Hermione hadn't even noticed where her feet were carrying her,and she was only vaguely aware that she was soaking wet.Ron was always trying to hurt her,constantly trying to find out about Victor.She hated him for that.But she knew that if anything happened to Ron she would hate herself.Without any warning,tears burst forth,and she decided to go back into the Leaky Cauldron.She wouldn't forgive Ron for reading her mail,but she felt terrible about what she was thinking,because Ron wasn't trying to hurt her.He certainly was being over protective,but not trying to hurt her.Hermione turned to go back to the Leaky Cauldron,when she became highly aware of one fact;that she was standing in unfirmiliar surroundings.  
  
She looked around,trying to find a firmiliar store.The only thing she saw where places with fat black leather bound books in windows,with titles like How to Hex Annoying Friends and A Guide to the Inner Workings of Evil.Hermione spun around,hoping she was wrong,but when she saw shrunken heads in one window,it confirmed her worst beliefs.  
  
Somehow,some way,she had wondered into Knocturn Alley. 


End file.
